Was justice served in the Kate Steinle murder trial?

Thursday, a jury in San Francisco found Jose Ines Garcia Zarate not guilty of the murder of Kate Steinle. Steinle was shot in the back while walking with her father and a friend at the San Francisco pier. Zarate’s defense claimed he found the gun wrapped in a cloth and, when he unwrapped it, the gun fired. He claimed, though, during police interrogation, that he was firing at a seal. He also told police he stepped on it causing it to fire. Zarate’s case has been a lightning rod for the debate about sanctuary cities in this country. He had been deported five times before Kate Steinle’s death. Zarate was convicted by the jury of being a felon and having possession of a firearm. He is subject to immediate deportation from this country. Steinle, who was 32 at the time of her death, has been the inspiration for Kate’s Law, a bill that passed the House in June. The bill would create maximum prison penalties for immigrants who repeatedly come to this country illegally. It has failed to pass in the Senate because it has been unable to get 60 votes. Given the circumstances of this case, the question must be asked, was justice served in this case?

CBS News covering the verdict in the Kate Steinle:

The Issue

Was justice served in the Kate Steinle murder trial? Did the criminal justice system work in this case? Or was this a miscarriage of justice?

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